fed chief ben bernanke speaks at 2:15 eastern. the s & p 500 up more than 13% so far this year, and now up since the election. >>> bank of america, merrill lynch predicts oil prices in this country will drop to $50 per barrel. the cause? difficulty in moving huge amounts of oil from the bakan oil fields in south dakota and in texas. they don't predict a corresponding drop in gas prices. world oil prices will stay high, and our gas prices will likely track that. >>> americans are upbeat about the economy. 43% of americans say they are optimistic about 2013 and believe the economy is rebounding, nearly twice as many as last year. >> can i ask? the other day, we were talking about the fiscal cliff. and you tell us it will be really, really bad. why does the market keep going up? >> everyone thinks they will fix it. in the market, the question, what will the top rate be for the highest earners. 37%? the market says there will be a deal and lower corporate tax rates. if there isn't a deal, after the first of the year, a big stock marke